White Poodle in a Punt
c. 1780
George Stubbs, famous for his incredibly lifelike horse portraits, decided to give a fluffy white poodle the same royal treatment around 1780. The curly-coated canine stands proudly on a wooden punt, gazing off into the distance with a backdrop of a lush weeping willow and a calm river. Stubbs was a master of animal anatomy, and you can really see that precision in the way he captured the texture of the dog's fur and its alert posture. It's a charming reminder that even the most serious 18th-century artists had a soft spot for man's best friend!
Location: Tate Britain, London
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